Apparatus for deterring animals from avian enclosures

ABSTRACT

A method of deterring certain kinds of animals from birdfeeders and birdhouses consists of rotating such avian enclosures at a sufficient speed to deter the undesirable animal. An electronic baffle rotates the avian enclosures at variable speeds for which fast speeds are used to deter animals and slow speeds are used for better viewing of birds. A support suspends the baffle from a tree or mounts the baffle to a pole in the ground. An electronic circuit contained within the baffle senses the animal&#39;s presence and controls the speed of a motor that rotates the avian enclosures for a predetermined period of time. Optionally, remote control circuitry may be used in manually deterring animals from the avian enclosures and for better viewing of birds.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of, and is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/480,936 filed Jan. 11, 2000 entitledMETHOD FOR DETERRING ANIMALS FROM AVIAN ENCLOSURES, and further claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/164,451, Filed Nov.11, 1999, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to avian enclosures andaccessories to avian enclosures. More specifically, the invention isdirected at an externally separate device that rotates avian enclosuresor a device that is part of the whole rotating avian enclosure.

[0004] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0005] One of main purposes of avian enclosures for their owners is theenjoyment of watching birds. Unfortunately, rodents consume largequantities of birdseed and/or, worst yet, destroy birdfeeders andbirdhouses due to their aggressive nature. The most vulnerable feedersare the ones made out of plastic or wooden parts of which squirrels willeventually chew on and destroy. As a result, people cannot enjoywatching birds at the same time while worrying about squirrels, or otherrodents, damaging and/or scaring away birds from their feeders orhouses.

[0006] Many attempts have been made in the prior art to develop, eitherinternal or external to the birdfeeder, mechanisms that try to activelyprotect feeders by repelling rodents. Most of these use a cruel andinhumane electrical shock on the squirrels. For example, the Boaz U.S.Pat. No. 5,191,857 patent uses a large umbrella-shaped electricalshocking squirrel guard above the feeder. However, squirrels can getaround this device simply by leaping onto the feeder from a nearby treeor from the ground. Other attempts shown by the patents to Doubleday etal. U.S. Pat. No. 2,856,898, Boyd U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,788, and CollinsU.S. Pat. No. 5,471,951 all incorporate the electrical-shocking devicewithin the feeder itself. However, defense mechanisms of these types areall eventually figured-out by the squirrels who are both cunning andvery determined. Over time, the squirrels train themselves where to stepand where not to step in order to avoid getting shocked.

[0007] Other attempts in the prior art have tried more passive devicessuch as plastic baffles for deterring squirrels that are inherentlydesigned to be very large and bulky devices. For example, patents issuedto Blasbalg U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,669, Nylen U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,687, andChester U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,856 all use some sort of largeumbrella-shaped squirrel guard located either above and/or below thefeeder. However, the effectiveness of these passive devices is evenworse than the previously mentioned active devices since the squirrelwill not only defeat the device, they will also destroy the device inthe process by chewing on it repeatedly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is a new apparatus and method directed atdeterring certain kinds of animals from avian enclosures by rotating theenclosures at sufficient speeds. As used herein, avian enclosure isintended to mean birdhouses, birdfeeders, and like structures intendedfor use by birds. An electronic baffle is described that safely detersunwanted animals such as rodents from the enclosures which includes asupport for suspending the baffle, at least one animal sensing mechanismsuch as an electronic circuit that detects the presence of animals, anda motor/gearbox whose shaft is a hook that suspends the avianenclosures. The electronic baffle is also capable of rotating thesuspended enclosures at a very slow speed. For example, this mode ofoperation is used for the purpose of eliminating blind spots from abirdwatcher's viewing area of the birds eating from the feeders.

[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide anelectro-mechanical rotating system which can be incorporated intovarious parts of avian enclosures in order to deter rodents, or otheranimals, from the enclosures by rotating the enclosures at asufficiently fast speed.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide anelectro-mechanical rotating system that can be incorporated into variousparts of avian enclosures in order to not scare birds from theenclosures by rotating the enclosures at a sufficiently slow speed.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide anelectro-mechanical rotating system that can be mounted into the groundusing a pole from which the enclosures are attached.

[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide anelectro-mechanical rotating system that can be remotely-controlled usingstandard, off-the-shelve remote control technology incorporated intovarious parts of the invention.

[0013] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description when viewed inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain, butnot all-encompassing, embodiments of the invention.

DRAWING FIGURES

[0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the present invention ashung from a tree.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a cutaway cross-sectional side view of the presentinvention.

[0016]FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the present invention.

[0017]FIG. 4 is a schematic electronic diagram of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 5 is an alternate schematic electronic diagram of the presentinvention.

[0019]FIG. 6 is a simplified algorithmic block diagram of the invention.

[0020]FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative version ofthe present invention shown mounted onto a pole.

[0021]FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a remote-control versionof the present invention.

[0022]FIG. 9 is a simplified hardware block diagram of an alternativeversion of the present invention being remotely controlled. LIST OFREFERENCE NUMERALS FOR DRAWING FIGURES 1 hanging pest deterrentapparatus 2 post-mounted pest deterrent apparatus 3 mounting hook 4 tophook 5 housing 6 electrical wires 7 printed circuit board mountingscrews 8 printed circuit board 9 grommet 10 printed circuitboard-to-hook small mounting screw 11 motor/gearbox 12 battery holders13 base plate mounting screws 14 base plate 15 battery cover screws 16on/off electrical switch 17 bottom hook 18 battery access doors 19extended overhang 20 electronic switch mounting screws 21 motor/gearboxhousing mounting screws 26 positive circuit terminals 27 chemicalbatteries 28 signal ground potential 29 load cell 30 positive inputresistor 31 op-amp feedback resistor 32 power level sense capacitor 33power level sense resistor 34 piezoelectric buzzer 35 transistorcollector resistor 37 back-emf protection diode 38 N-channel Mosfet 39vibration sensor NPN transistor 40 transistor biasing resistor 41stabilization resistor 42 op-amp feedback capacitor 43 current limitingresistor 44 operational amplifier 45 stabilizing capacitor 46 negativeinput resistor 47 precision metal-film resistors 48 power switching NPNtransistor 49 capacitor filter 50 reverse-battery protection diode 51microcontroller 52 analog bridge circuit 55 starting step 56 power onstep 57 power on status check 58 feeder off status check 59 greater thanminimum threshold comparison step 60 short beep step 61 initializationstep 62 measurement step 63 maximum threshold comparison step 65 betweenthresholds comparison step 67 less than minimum threshold comparisonstep 68 set feeder-off flag step 69 watch-dog-timer greater than Ncomparison step 70 calibrate all thresholds step 71 incrementwatch-dog-timer step 72 reset watch-dog-timer step 73 go to sleep step74 watch-dog-timer or interrupt-went-off detection step 75 blockingcapacitor 78 pole 79 earth 81 tree limb 83 top squirrel 85 tree 87bottom squirrel 89 typical birdfeeder 91 birds 100 beeps 102 birdwatcher103 radio frequency signals 104 infrared signals 110 input/output pin0111 input/output pin1 112 input/output pin2 113 input/output pin3 114input/output pin4 115 input/output pin5 120 force-sensitive resistor 122integrating capacitor 150 transmitter/receiver unit 152 load cellcircuit 154 buzzer circuit 158 DIP switch 159 receiver/transmittermicrocontroller 160 transmitter/receiver circuit 162 bi-directionaltransmission link 164 remote 166 remote buzzer 168 light emitting diodes170 liquid crystal display circuit 172 keypad 174 serial port circuit174 180 remote DIP switch 182 remote microcontroller chip 182 184 remotereceiver/transmitter circuit R1 fast revolutions-per-minute speed R2slow revolutions-per-minute speed R variable revolutions-per-minutespeed

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein, however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms of which some are detailed at close of this section. Therefore,the details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limited, butmerely as the basis for the claims and as a basis for teaching oneskilled in the art how to make and/or use the invention.

[0024] A method of deterring rodents, such as squirrels, from avianenclosures which consists of spinning the enclosures about theirvertical axis will now be described. To accomplish this task, therotating device must spin the feeder at a high enoughrevolutions-per-minute suitable to make the squirrel dizzy and/ornauseated. Through experimentation, a revolutions-per-minute of between70 and 100 was found to make those squirrels that jump onto a feederwant to jump back off. Results so far have shown that, at these speeds,the squirrel becomes light-headed and/or agitated due to the sufficientcentrifugal force generated from the rotating avian enclosure.Consequently, the squirrels always jump off after a brief period of timeof usually less than 15 seconds. However, to be safe, the enclosureshould be allowed to run at least one minute especially forbattery-operated devices which may start to slow down after thebatteries start to drain. In addition, it was found that squirrels willnot try to board an already rotating feeder. So, as a result, an optimumsystem is one that senses the rodents prior to them jumping onto thefeeder. The feeders can then be activated before the rodent even has achance to eat any food.

[0025] The devices chosen to accomplish this method should also beflexible enough to rotate the enclosures at very slow speeds. This isnecessary for when birds land to allow the birdwatcher to see all sidesof their enclosure. The rotational speed has to be slow enough to notscare away the birds. Through experimentation, it was found that arotational speed of less than about six revolutions-per-minute willusually suffice in not scaring off any birds perched on the rotatingfeeder. However the revolutions-per-minute speed should not be too lowas to become almost boring to watch. As a result, it was determined thatabout a three revolutions-per-minute is a safe and yet interestingrotational speed.

[0026] The electrical and/or mechanical rotating device ultimatelychosen for this invention should take some or all of the abovespecifications into account. Also for the convenience of the user, thedevice should be made as automated as possible. For example, the deviceshould have the capability to sense when the rodents or birds are on thefeeder and discriminate between the two in order to decide whether torotate the feeder fast or slow. Also for the convenience of the user,the device can have a remote-control capability that notifies thebirdwatcher when something is in their feeder. The birdwatcher shouldthen have the flexibility to decide what to do next to, for example,rotate the feeder to a variably fast speed or activate a very loudbuzzer. Lastly, since some rodents are very smart, the device, if it ishanging from a tree, should also have the capability to sense when arodent is trying to climb down from above. Some possibleelectrical/mechanical apparatuses that meet the above specifications ofthe invention will now be described in detail.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1 where a preferred embodiment of theinvention, a hanging pest deterrent apparatus 1, is shown having a tophook 4 being suspended by a mounting hook 3 which is attached tosuitable support such as a tree limb 81 which is part of a larger tree85. A typical birdfeeder 89 is then hung from a bottom hook 17 attachedto the hanging apparatus 1. Alternately the feeder 89 could have beenreplaced by a birdhouse (not shown). When a single or plurality of birds91 lands on the feeder 89, the mechanical vibrations and changes inweight of the feeder 89 will be sensed by electronics contained withinthe hanging apparatus 1. The electronics will then activate amotor/gearbox (not shown) whose shaft is attached to the bottom hook 17which will then, in turn, rotate the feeder 89 at a sufficiently slowrevolutions-per-minute speed R2 as to not startle the birds 91. Theelectronics contained within the hanging apparatus 1 can also detectwhen a larger animal, such as a bottom squirrel 87, jumps onto thefeeder 89. The hanging apparatus 1 will then rotate the feeder around ina circular fashion at a fast revolutions-per-minute speed R1 sufficientto make the bottom squirrel uncomfortable and jump back off the feeder89. In another attempt, a top squirrel 83 climbs down onto the feeder 89from above. However, he has to first apply his own body weight to thehanging apparatus 1. Electronics contained within the hanging apparatus1 will again detect the force being applied to hanging apparatus's 1outer shell and start to turn the feeder 89 at the fast speed R1. Thetop squirrel 83 will then be startled and not want to jump onto arotating feeder 89 and simply leave in frustration.

[0028] Refer now to FIG. 2 which illustrates is a cutawaycross-sectional side view of the hanging apparatus 1. The top hook 4 isshown attached to a printed circuit board 8 that is populated with theelectronics (not shown). The top hook 4 must be made of a suitablystrong metal to be able to support not only the hanging apparatus's 1own weight, but also the weight of a large feeder completely filled withbirdseed (not shown). The top hook 4 must also be strong enough tosustain the weight of the largest rodents (not shown) found here in theUnited States and abroad. Further, since the hanging apparatus 1 is tobe used outdoors, the top hook 4 must never be allowed to rust.Accordingly, a metal like stainless steel may be a suitable choice touse for the top hook 4. The top hook is connected to the printed circuitboard 8 by using a printed circuit board-to-hook small mounting screw10. This small screw 10 can be a machine screw made of suitably strongmetal to again support a wide range of loads. The small screw 10 mustalso be large enough to support a wide range of loads and yet smallenough to allow the printed circuit board 8 to flex along its verticalaxis due to varying loads. Likewise, the printed circuit board 8 must bemade of suitably strong material such as fiberglass. The printed circuitboard 8 must also be thick enough to again support a wide range of loadsand yet be thin enough to allow flexation along its vertical axis due tovarying loads.

[0029] The printed circuit board 8 is also shown in FIG. 2 attached to ahousing 5 through the use of a couple of printed circuit board mountingscrews 7. The diameter of the housing 5 must be made sufficiently largeto force top squirrels 83, shown in FIG. 1, to apply their own bodyweight to the housing 5 when stretching around the outside of thehousing 5. The housing 5 can be injection molded using a plasticmaterial such as a black acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene or equivalentthat is very durable outdoors and whose color will not fade over time.Furthermore, to prevent hardening and cracking over time, an ultravioletstabilized curing agent should also be used in the manufacturing processof the housing 5. The printed circuit board mounting screws 7 must bemade of suitable metal to support a wide range of loads. Also, theirlocation must be set far enough away from the small screw 10 to allowthe printed circuit board 8 to flex along its vertical axis due tovarying loads. However, the vertical flexation of the printed circuitboard 8 must never be allowed to exceed beyond its mechanical limits.For safety reasons, mechanical stops (not shown) may have to be employedto prevent the printed circuit board 8 from flexing beyond its maximumlimits.

[0030] Shown also in FIG. 2 is a grommet 9 that is press-fitted into ahole at the top center of the housing 5 making a tight seal against thehousing 5 and top hook 4 for preventing moisture from seeping into thehanging apparatus 1. This grommet 9 must be made of a elastic rubber orplastic or silicon rubber which will allow the surrounding housing 5 toflex with varying loads. Furthermore, the grommet must also be durableenough to never degrade or harden over time from extreme outdoorenvironments. Consequently an ultraviolet stabilized curing agent shouldbe used in the manufacturing process of the grommet 9. In addition, thehousing 5 is also shown having an extended overhang 19 to help protectall components, connected to a base plate 14, from rain, dust, sand, andsnow. The base plate 14 is connected to the housing 5 using a multitudeof base plate mounting screws 13. The overhang 19, which is part of thehousing 5, should extend beyond the most protruding part not includingthe bottom hook 17 which is connected a motor/gearbox's 11 shaft. Forsafety reasons, the bottom hook 17 must be securely attached to themotor/gearbox 11 for handling the largest of anticipated loads.Furthermore, the bottom hook 17 must be made of a suitably strong metalto be able to support a large feeder completely filled with birdseed(not shown). The bottom hook 17 must also be strong enough to sustainthe weight of the largest rodents (not shown) found here in the UnitedStates and abroad. Further, since the hanging apparatus 1 is to be usedoutdoors, the bottom hook 17 must never be allowed to rust. Accordingly,a metal such as stainless steel may be a suitable choice to use for thebottom hook 17. Also shown in FIG. 2 are a plurality of electrical wires6 which are electrically connected from the printed circuit board 8 tothe motor/gearbox's 11 housing. The wires 6 are also connected to aplurality of battery holders 12 and an on/off electrical switch 16. Thewires 6 must be made of a suitable gauge wire to allow sufficientcurrent to flow between the printed circuit board 8 and theaforementioned electrically connected components. Preferably, thebattery holders 12 should be plastic-injection molded as part of eitherthe housing 5 or the base plate 14. In addition, the weight distributionof the batteries (not shown) is such that the center of gravity must bemaintained along the vertical axis of the device. As a result, thebattery holders 12 must be place at equal-distances for each other andfrom the vertical axis through the center of the device. A plurality ofbattery access doors 18 are attached to the battery holders 12. Hinges(not shown) are used connect the doors 18 to the base plate 14. Whenclosed, the doors 18 are secured to the base plate 14 using a pluralityof battery cover screws 15.

[0031]FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the hanging apparatus 1. Ascan be seen, a pair of electronic switch mounting screws 20 are used tosecure the switch 16 to the base plate 14. The switch 16 is mountedtowards the outside edges of the base plate 14 allowing easy access toturning the hanging apparatus either on or off. Also shown in the figureare a pair of motor/gearbox housing mounting screws 21 which are used tosecure the motor/gearbox's 11 housing to the base plate 14. All cracksin the base plate 14 must be properly sealed with, for example, siliconrubber to prevent moisture from seeping into the hanging apparatus 1.Lastly, all aforementioned screws in both FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 must be madeof a sufficiently strong metal such as stainless steel that also doesnot rust.

[0032] Refer now to FIG. 4, which illustrates is a schematic electronicdiagram of the electronics used in the present invention. A plurality ofchemical batteries 27 are connected in series to boost the voltagepotential. As shown, the voltage potential is boosted three fold. Poweris applied to the circuit from the batteries 27 whenever the switch 16is in the closed position. This action will complete the circuit fromthe positive terminal of the last battery 27 to a plurality of positivecircuit terminals 26. Current can then flow from the positive circuitterminals 26 to the rest of the circuit, which is then returned to asignal ground potential 28. The force-to-electrical transducer circuit,which is comprised of an analog bridge circuit 52, is now ready to takeweight measurements. To activate the bridge circuit 52, the base of apower switching NPN transistor 48 is pulled towards the positive circuitvoltage potential 26. This action is controlled by an input/output pin5115 of a microcontroller 51 through a current limiting resistor 43. Theground potential 28 is now applied to the bridge circuit 52 through thetransistor 48 which must be capable of handling the current load. One ofthe first places that receives the newly activated current is thestandard wheatstone passive bridge circuit which is comprised of a loadcell 29 and a plurality of precision metal-film resistors 47. Thelocation of the load cell 29 is crucial since it must be located asclose as possible to the maximum flexation point of the printed circuitboard 8 in FIG. 2. This point is located on the bottom side of theprinted circuit board 8 close to the small screw 10 in FIG. 2 at whichthe load cell 29 is bonded using a suitable cement such as Duco, Eastman910, or EPY-150. The load cell 29 is oriented with its active lengthaligned with the sensing axis. It is important to obtain load cells 29that have a temperature coefficient close to the metal, which is copperin this case, that the load cell 29 is bonded to. To conserve battery 27power, it is also important that the load cell 29 and precisionresistors 47 all have reasonably high resistance values. Alternately, aquad-load cell (not shown) could have been used that would replace thepresent load cell 29 and the precision metal-film resistors 47. Ideallythe quad-load cell could be manufactured right on the printed circuitboard 8 in FIG. 2 using standard laser-trimming techniques.

[0033] A positive input resistor 30 and a negative input resistor 46connect the differential bridge circuit to the input terminals of anoperational amplifier 44. The amplifier 44 is configured as adifferential circuit that subtracts the voltage differences between itspositive and negative terminals. Furthermore, the amplifier 44 circuitis also configured as an integrating amplifier that combines thedifferential signals over time. An op-amp feedback resistor 31 and anop-amp feedback capacitor 42 conduct the integration and amplificationof the signals. A stabilizing capacitor 45 also helps in the integratingprocess performed by the operational amplifier 44. The output of theamplifier 44 is supplied to an input/output pin4 114 of themicrocontroller 51 whose internal program will count how long it takesuntil a logic high voltage level is reached. The resultant count is ameasure of the current load being applied to the load cell 29. Allresistors contained within the bridge circuit 52 should have hightolerances to temperature fluctuations so at least 1% precisionmetal-film resistors should be used. The microcontroller 51 can be anysuitable low-power microcontroller such as Microchip's PIC12C508A part.

[0034] A piezoelectric buzzer 34 is used as both a sounding device and avibration sensor. When used as a sounding device, there are actually twopurposes: (1) To notify the user of the current status of the system and(2) To help scare rodents away using either audio or ultrasonic signals.In both cases, an oscillatory signal is supplied to the buzzer 34 by themicrocontroller 51 via an input/output pin 1111. When the buzzer 34 isconfigured as a sensor, the input/output pin 1111 must be reconfigured,by the program running internally to the microcontroller 51, as a highimpedance output. In this case, the input/output pin1 111 is basicallydisconnected, signal-wise, from the rest of the circuit which isrequired when the buzzer 34 is to be used as a vibration sensor. Themechanical vibrations applied to the buzzer 34 are then converted to avoltage signal which is amplified by a vibration sensor NPN transistor39. A transistor biasing resistor 40 is used to keep the vibrationsensor NPN transistor's 39 sensitivity high while a transistor collectorresistor 35 helps amplify the signals. The vibration sensitive voltageamplified signal is then supplied to an input/output pin3 113 of themicrocontroller 51 which uses the signals to detect the presence ofrodents and/or birds. Lastly, a blocking capacitor 75 is used to preventactivity at the input/output pin1 111 from causing an accidentalinterrupt at the input/output pin3 113.

[0035] An input/output pin0 110 is used to activate an N-channel mosfet38 which, in turn, activates the motor/gearbox 11. A stabilizationresistor 41 keeps any spurious noise from activating the mosfet 38 and aback-emf protection diode 37 protects the rest of the circuit from fastdeactivations of the motor/gearbox 11. A power level sense capacitor 32and a power level sense resistor 33 are both used by themicrocontroller, via an input/output pin2 112, for measuring the currentbattery voltage level. The results from this measurement are then usedto calculate the coefficients for the pulse-width modulation of themotor/gearbox 11. Also, these results are used to sound a certain numberof beeps from the buzzer 34 when the batteries need to be changed. Acapacitor filter 49 is used to help filer out any spurious noise and areverse-battery protection diode 50 is used to help protect the rest ofthe circuit in FIG. 4 from accidental reverse polarity placement of thebatteries 27.

[0036]FIG. 5 is an alternate schematic electronic diagram of the presentinvention that is very similar to the circuit in FIG. 4 except theanalog bridge circuit 52 in FIG. 4 is replaced with a force sensitiveresistor 120 and an integrating capacitor 122. The microcontroller 51discharges the integrating capacitor 122 via the input/output pin4 114by pulsing the pin towards ground potential 28. The microcontroller 51then reconfigures the input/output pin4 114 as an input and counts howlong it takes until it sees a logic high voltage level. The resultantcount is a function of the current value of the force sensitive resistor120. As with the load cell 29 used in FIG. 4, the location of the forcesensitive resistor 120 is crucial since it must be located as close aspossible to the maximum flexation point of the printed circuit board 8in FIG. 2. This point is located on the bottom side of the printedcircuit board 8 close to the small screw 10 in FIG. 2 at which the forcesensitive resistor 120 is bonded using a suitable cement. Alternately,the force sensitive resistor 120 could be manufactured right on theprinted circuit board 8 in FIG. 1 using resistive ink during the asilk-screening process.

[0037] Refer now to FIG. 6 that is a simplified algorithmic blockdiagram of the program that executes within the microcontroller 51 inFIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The algorithm starts after a power on step 56 isexecuted which is after the power is turned-on by the switch 16 in FIG.4 and FIG. 5. A starting step 55 is then executed which goes on to apower on status step 57. The power on status step 57 determines whetherthe power was just turned on or not. If the answer is yes, then a shortbeep step 60 is executed next which notifies the user that the system isactivated. An initialization step 61 is then executed that resets allinternal variables and conducts other miscellaneous functions. A go tosleep step 73 is then executed which causes the microcontroller in FIG.4 and FIG. 5 to go into a very low-power mode of operation. During thismode, only a watch-dog-timer or interrupt-went-off detection step 74 canmake the algorithm return to the starting step 55. A watch-dog-timer isutilized to wake-up the algorithm after a predetermined amount of timehas gone by. This conserves energy since power consumption isproportional to the amount of time that the system is not in the sleepmode 73. As a result, the longer the algorithm is asleep, the less powerwill be consumed averaged over time. When the watch-dog-timer doesfinally arrive, the starting step55 will then be executed. Thewatch-dog-timer or interrupt-went-off detection step 74 also has anexternal interrupt capability configured to wake up on a pin voltagelevel change. Namely, if the voltage level of one or more of the sensorinput pins in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 crosses over a logic threshold then thenext step, the starting step55, will be executed. The power on statusstep 57 is then executed which determines whether the power was justturned on or not. In this case answer is no and the next step, ameasurement step 62, is executed which computes the Mi count which is afunction of the force that is currently being applied to the load cell29 in FIG. 4 or the force sensitive resistor 120 in FIG. 5. The nextstep, a feeder off status check 58, is then executed which determineswhether or not an internal feeder off flag variable (not shown) is sethigh or low. The internal feeder off flag is used to determine whichstep to execute next. If the flag is set high, a logic 1, then the nextstep, a greater than minimum threshold comparison step 59, is executed.This step compares the Mi value just measured to a factory-calibratedthreshold called T0 that is equivalent to a no-load condition of thehanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. In other words, this threshold isproportional the hanging apparatus's 1 own weight with no feeder 89attached in FIG. 1. If Mi is still less than T0 the algorithm goes backto sleep 73. If Mi is greater than or equal to T0 then the feeder 89must have just been place back on the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. Inthis case the next step, the short beep step 60 is executed next whichnotifies the user that the system is still activated. The initializationstep 61 is then executed and finally the sleep step 73 is executed.

[0038] When the algorithm finally gets back to the feeder off statuscheck 58 step, it will now find the internal feeder off flag variablehas been reset by the previous initialization step 61. As a result, amaximum threshold comparison step 63, is then executed which compares Mito an internally calibrated threshold called T2. This threshold, T2,helps determines, whether on not, either the bottom squirrel 87 and/orthe top squirrel 83 has been detected in FIG. 1. If Mi is greater thanT2 then the answer is yes and the next step, the fastrevolutions-per-minute speed R1 step, is executed which rotates thefeeder 89 in FIG. 1 at a fast enough speed to make the rodents 83 and/or87 dizzy or fly off. After a predetermined amount of time has gone by,the rotation of the feeder 89 in FIG. 1 is stopped and the sleep step 73is then executed. However, if the answer to the maximum thresholdcomparison step 63 is no then the next step, a between thresholdscomparison step 65, is executed which determines whether birds 91 are onthe feeder 89 in FIG. 1. If Mi's value is between both T1 and T2thresholds then the answer to the between thresholds comparison step 65is yes and the next step, a slow revolutions-per-minute speed R2 step,is executed which rotates the feeder 89 at a slow enough speed to notscare away the birds 91 in FIG. 1. After a predetermined amount of time,the rotation of the feeder 89 in FIG. 1 is stopped and the next step,sleep 73, is then executed. If the answer to the between thresholdscomparison step 65 is no than the next step, a less than minimumthreshold comparison step 67, is executed which determines whether ornot the measured value Mi is less than or equal to thefactory-calibrated T0 threshold value. If the answer to this question isyes, the next step, a set feeder-off flag step 68, is executed whichsets an internal feeder off flag to a logic high level. This step isexecuted whenever the feeder 89 has just been removed from the hangingapparatus 1 in FIG. 1 for cleaning and/or refilling. The next step,sleep 73, is then executed. If the answer to the minimum thresholdcomparison step 67 is no, the next step, a watch-dog-timer greater thanN comparison step 69, is executed which compares the currentwatch-dog-timer count WDT_cnt to a predetermined set value N. If WDT_cntis found to be greater than N then the next step, a calibrate allthresholds step 70, is then executed which calibrates the T1 and T2thresholds. A reset watch-dog-timer step 72 is then executed which setsWDT_cnt to zero. The system then powers down in the sleep step 73. Ifthe answer to the watch-dog-timer greater than N comparison step 69 isno then the next step, an increment watch-dog-timer step 71, is executedwhich simply increments the WDT_cnt variable. Finally the system goesback to sleep 73 in FIG. 6. Note that for this simplified algorithm inFIG. 6 to work properly, the T1 and T2 threshold variables must beinitialized to their maximum possible values in the initialization step61.

[0039] Refer now to FIG. 7, which illustrates a perspective view of analternative version of the present invention, shown mounted onto a pole78. A pole-mounted pest deterrent apparatus 2 is shown attached to thetop of the pole 78 whose other end is securely positioned into a typicalearth 79. The birdfeeder 89 is then mounted to the pole-mountedapparatus 2. When the bottom squirrel 87 is detected, the pole-mountedapparatus 2 will start to rotate the feeder 89 sufficiently fast R1 tomake the bottom squirrel 87 uncomfortable and want to jump off.Likewise, when the birds 91 are detected, the pole-mounted apparatus 2will start to rotate the feeder 89 at sufficiently slow speeds R2 tomake the birds 91 comfortable and not want to fly away. The mechanicsand electronics for the pole-mounted apparatus 2 would be very similarto the hanging apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1. Except now the hangingapparatus 1 from FIG. 1 is mounted upside down to the pole 78 in FIG. 7.Its top hook 4 in FIG. 1 would either be attached to or be replaced witha more suitable attachment for the pole 78 in FIG. 7. Likewise, thehanging apparatus 1 would have its bottom hook 17 in FIG. 1 eitherattached to or be replaced with a more suitable attachment for aturntable-like device (not shown). The feeder 89 would then be attachedto this turntable.

[0040] Refer now to FIG. 8 that illustrates a perspective view of aremote-control version of the present invention. A birdwatcher 102 nowhas the added control of manually deciding what animals are allowed intheir birdfeeder 89 or birdhouse. To accomplish this, the circuits inFIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are modified to include certain transmitter/receivercircuits. As a result, when a rodent 87 and/or birds 91 now lands on thefeeder 89 in FIG. 8, a plurality of non-directional radio frequencysignals 103 are transmitted over the airwaves to a remote 164 held bythe birdwatcher 102. The remote 164 would then process these radiofrequency signals 103 and announce, using a plurality of audio beeps100, to the birdwatcher 102 that something is on their feeder 89. Thebirdwatcher 102 then has the flexibility to decide if they want torotate the feeder at a fast variable speed R making the rodentuncomfortable and want to jump off. Or the birdwatcher 102 could decideto rotate the birdfeeder 89 at a slow variable speed R turning thebirdfeeder 89 until the birds 91 can be easily seen. In order toaccomplish these tasks, the remote 164 would send, with the press of abutton, a plurality of directional infrared signals 104 back to thehanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 or the pole mounted apparatus 2 in FIG. 7.

[0041] Refer now to FIG. 9 that illustrates a simplified hardware blockdiagram of an alternative version of the present invention beingremotely controlled. The circuits in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are modified toinclude a transmitter/receiver circuit 160. Consequently, a newtransmitter/receiver unit 150 is installed, in place of the printedcircuit board 8 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. This new circuit board would thenbe installed inside the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 or thepole-mounted apparatus 2 in FIG. 7 for the additional purpose oftransmitting and receiving signals over the airwaves. A person (notshown) holding a remote 164 would then receive a bi-directionaltransmission link 162 using infrared, ultrasonic, and/or radio frequencysignals from the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 or the pole mountedapparatus 2 in FIG. 7. The remote 164 would then process these signalsand announce, using either visual and/or audio cues, to the person thatsomething is on their feeder. The person then has the flexibility todecide if they want to rotate the feeder at a fast variable speed makingthe rodent uncomfortable and want to jump off. Or the person coulddecide to rotate the feeder at a slow speed turning the feeder until thebirds can be easily seen. Also, the person now has the flexibility toreprogram the transmitter/receiver unit 150 on the fly to, for example,not rotate automatically but wait until a signal is sent. Or thetransmitter/receiver unit 150 could be reprogrammed to automaticallyrotate the feeders but only for rodents and not for birds thusconserving crucial battery power. The remote 164 could sendnon-directional radio frequency signals or, since people would likely bepointing the remote at the feeder anyway, the remote 164 could useinfrared signals to transmit the bi-directional transmission link 162back to the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 or the pole mounted apparatus2 in FIG. 7.

[0042] The transmitter/receiver unit 150 is activated, as before, whenbirds 91 or top squirrel 83 or bottom squirrel 87 approaches and/ortouches the attached birdfeeder 89 or birdhouse as shown in FIG. 1 andFIG. 7. A load cell circuit 152 and a buzzer circuit 154 are similar tocomponents previously mentioned and used in the FIG. 4 and FIG. 5circuits. The output signals from these sensor circuits go to areceiver/transmitter microcontroller 159 which is similar to themicrocontroller 51 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. However, additional algorithmsnow decide whether or not to activate the transmitter/receiver circuit160. If activated, the bi-directional transmission link 162 is sent overthe airwaves to a receiver/transmitter circuit 184 contained within theremote 164 for the purpose of notifying the bird watcher that there issomething in their bird feeder or bird house. A DIP switch 158 is usedby encoding/decoding algorithms inside the receiver/transmittermicrocontroller 159 to encode a certain number of address bits into thebi-directional transmission link 162 through the transmitter/receivercircuit 160 similar to a standard garage door opener. The transmittercomponents used in the transmitter/receiver circuit 160 can be single ormultiple light emitting diodes for an infrared mode of data transmissionor an ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic mode of data transmission.Or the components can be a SAW-based transmitter module for a radiofrequency-type bi-directional transmission link 162. Likewise, thecomponents used at the receiving end of the bi-directional transmissionlink 162, the remote receiver/transmitter circuit 184, can be photodiodes to implement an infrared version of the bi-directionaltransmission link 162 or an ultrasonic transducer to implement anultrasonic version of the bi-directional transmission link 162. Or thecomponents can be a SAW-based receiver module for a radio frequency-typebi-directional transmission link 162. The TTL and/or CMOS compatibleoutput of the remote receiver/transmitter circuit 184 is then sent to aremote microcontroller chip 182 which runs firmware algorithms thatprocess the incoming signals. Chips from the Microchip PIC16C5X seriescan be utilized as suitable remote microcontroller 182 chips. A remoteDIP switch 180 is identical to the one in the transmitter/receiver unit150. The remote microcontroller chip 182 compares the addressinformation received from the bi-directional transmission link 162 withthe settings of the remote DIP switch 180. If there is a match in thedecoded address bits, several outputs from the remote microcontrollerchip 182 are then used to activate one or more devices. For example aremote buzzer 166 could be used to emit audio beeps or a purality oflight emitting diodes 168 and/or a liquid crystal display circuit 170could be used to produce visual cues to the user. Also, a serial portcircuit 174 could be used to interface with a desktop personal computer(not shown). All or these examples are for the main purpose of notifyingthe bird watcher that a rodent or a bird is in their bird feeder orbirdhouse. However, data from the serial port circuit 174 could also beused to activate other external devices such as cameras (not shown) forthe purpose of taking pictures of birds and/or rodents in a bird feeder,or birdhouse. In addition, multiple transmitter/receiver units 150attached to a multitude of bird feeders and/or bird houses can be usedwith a single remote 164 by virtue of unique address/data transmissioninformation encoded into each bi-directional transmission link 162 sentto the remote 164. Part of the address/data information can also beutilized to tell which bird feeder, or bird house, is activated byobserving the information presented to the bird watcher by the liquidcrystal display circuit 170.

[0043] After being notified by the remote 164, the bird watcher then hasthe option to scare the rodents and/or unwanted birds away from theirbird feeder, or bird house, simply by activating a loud and annoyingaudio and/or ultrasonic buzzers contained in the buzzer circuit 154 inthe transmitter/receiver unit 150. The person could also decide torotate the feeder at a fast speed making any rodents uncomfortable andwant to jump off. Or the person could decide to rotate the feeder at aslow speed turning the feeder until the birds can be easily seen. Thebird watcher can accomplish any of these tasks simply by pushing variousbuttons on a keypad 172 whose output goes to the remote microcontrollerchip 182. The remote microcontroller chip 182 then interprets what theuser wants to accomplish and creates a special address/data word usingthe current settings of the remote DIP switch 180. The results of whichare then sent to the remote receiver/transmitter circuit 184 which, inturn, generates the bi-directional transmission link 162 back to thetransmitter/receiver circuit 160 in the transmitter/receiver unit 150.The transmitter components used in the remote receiver/transmittercircuit 184 can be light emitting diodes for infrared modes of datatransmission or an ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic modes of datatransmission. Or the components can be as complex as a SAW-basedtransmitter module for a radio frequency-type of bi-directionaltransmission link 162. However, the situation is now somewhat simplifiedif the user is standing by the window. Consequently, the transmissionlink can now be infrared since the bird watcher now points the remote164, much like a TV remote, at the bird feeder, or bird house, in orderto activate various mechanisms. The benefits of using infrared can beseen in the manufacturing costs. The transmitter/receiver circuit 160then strips digital data information out of the received carrier signaland sends the resultant TTL or CMOS compatible signal to thereceiver/transmitter microcontroller 159 chip. The receiver/transmittermicrocontroller 159 will then activate either the buzzer circuit 154,whose purpose is to scare away animals and/or a motor/gearbox 156 whosepurpose is twofold; (1) to rotate the attached hanging bird feeder, orbird house, very slow for the purpose of reaching a better viewingposition of the birds or (2) to rotate the attached hanging bird feeder,or bird house, at a variably fast speed for the purpose of repellingunwanted animals.

[0044] There are several versions of the previously discussed circuitsand mechanical parts and configurations that were not disclosed. Forexample, a three-position switch could have been used in place of theswitch 16 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 to connect directly to themicrocontroller 51. The feature could then allow the user not have themotor/gearbox 11 be activated when birds 91 land on the feeder 89 inFIG. 1 or FIG. 7. The result of this will conserve valuable batterypower for the main purpose of deterring rodents from the feeders 89.Another example is to use 180 mercury tilt switches attached to theprinted circuit board 8 in FIG. 2 to detect when the hanging apparatus 1in FIG. 1 was being tilted in any direction. Another example is afrequency-varying ultrasonic speaker system that transmits ultrasonicnoise mainly in the rodent's hearing range and not in the bird's hearingrange. Another example is an extra motor that is physically boltedinternally to the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 and the pole-mountedapparatus 2 in FIG. 7 that has an offset-cam attached to its shaft thatis free to rotate. The cam would, when activated, emit mechanicalvibrations though out the invention itself and the feeders 89 shown inFIG. 1 and FIG. 7. The same example could also be configured having theoffset cam replace with a ball chain that would beat against the insidewall of the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 and the pole-mounted apparatus2 in FIG. 7. Another example is to use solar cells in place of thebatteries 27 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 which would be mounted to the outsideof the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 and the pole-mounted apparatus 2 inFIG. 7. This would eliminate the need for the chemical batteries 27shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. Another example is to use an alternatingcurrent power source from any standard household outlet with the properrectifying circuitry added to the electronics inside the hangingapparatus 1 in FIG. 1 and the pole-mounted apparatus 2 in FIG. 7.Another example is to have the hanging apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 and thepole-mounted apparatus 2 in FIG. 7 both incorporated inside the feeder89 or house. Specifically, the avian enclosures would be manufacturedwith all of the necessary electronic and mechanical components containedinside the enclosure. Note that most of the above examples could haveincorporated some or all of the electronic and mechanical parts on thesame printed circuit board 8 shown in FIG. 2. In closing, for all ofthese examples, and the many others not mentioned, it shall be assumedthat these versions become obvious to anyone skilled in the art and whounderstands the embodiments of this document.

I claim:
 1. A method of preventing unwanted animals from avianenclosures while allowing others, is comprised of a variably spinningmeans of said avian enclosures whereby a very slow rotating action doesnot deter wanted animals and a fast rotating action repels unwantedanimals.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein an electrical poweredapparatus is utilized for rotating at least one said avian enclosurecomprising: (a) a housing containing an electrically motorizedmechanical means that generates sufficient torque for rotating saidavian enclosures at various speeds; (b) a plurality of animal sensingmechanisms contained within said housing proximate to points of maximumflexation providing electrical signals in response to various outsideforces applied thereto; (c) a signal processor circuit contained withinsaid housing coupled to said animal sensing mechanisms and to saidmotorized mechanical means; (d) an attachment means coupled to saidmotorized mechanical means for holding said housing in place whilerotating said avian enclosures.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein theanimal sensing mechanisms includes at least one sensor with the propersignal conditioning circuitry necessary for said signal processor todetect and measure static and differential loads applied thereto.
 4. Theinvention of claim 2 wherein at least one sounder is utilized fornotification of current operating status and for repelling unwantedanimals from said avian enclosures.
 5. The invention of claim 2 whereinthe signal processor determines whether or not said motorized mechanicalmeans should be activated based on weight differentials from said animalsensing mechanisms.
 6. The invention of claim 2 wherein the signalprocessor determines the modulation necessary to apply to said motorizedmechanical means to generate sufficient torque for rotating differentloads at a predetermined constant speed for a predetermined amount oftime.
 7. The invention of claim 1 wherein an electrical powered rotatingavian enclosure is utilized comprising: (a) an electrically motorizedmechanical means for rotating said avian enclosures at various speeds;(b) a plurality of animal sensing mechanisms mounted within said avianenclosures proximate to points of maximum flexation providing electricalsignals in response to various outside forces applied thereto; (c) asignal processor circuit contained within said avian enclosures coupledto said animal sensing mechanisms and to said motorized mechanicalmeans; (d) an attachment means coupled to said motorized mechanicalmeans for holding said electrically motorized mechanical means in placewhile rotating said avian enclosures.
 8. The invention of claim 7wherein the animal sensing mechanisms includes at least one sensor withthe proper signal conditioning circuitry necessary for said signalprocessor to detect and measure static and differential loads appliedthereto.
 9. The invention of claim 7 wherein at least one sounder isutilized for notification of current operating status and for repellingunwanted animals from said avian enclosures.
 10. The invention of claim7 wherein the signal processor determines whether or not said motorizedmechanical means should be activated based on weight differentials fromsaid animal sensing mechanisms.
 11. The invention of claim 7 wherein thesignal processor determines the modulation necessary to apply to saidmotorized mechanical means to generate sufficient torque for rotatingdifferent loads at a predetermined constant speed for a predeterminedamount of time.
 12. A remotely controlled apparatus is utilized forrotating at least one said avian enclosure comprising: (a) a housingcontaining an electrically motorized mechanical means that generatessufficient torque for rotating said avian enclosures at various speeds;(b) a plurality of animal sensing mechanisms mounted within said housingproviding electrical signals in response to various outside forcesapplied thereto; (c) a signal processor circuit contained within saidhousing coupled to said animal sensing mechanisms and to said motorizedmechanical means; (d) a transmitting and receiving circuit containedwithin said housing coupled to said signal processing circuit; (e) anattachment means coupled to said motorized mechanical means for holdingsaid housing in place while rotating said avian enclosures; (f) ahandheld remote control circuit contained within a box for receiving andsending signals from and to said transmitting and receiving circuit. 14.The invention of claim 12 wherein the animal sensing mechanisms includesat least one sensor with the proper signal conditioning circuitrynecessary for said signal processor to detect and measure static anddifferential loads applied thereto.
 15. The invention of claim 12wherein the signal processor determines if audio and visual cues mountedon said handheld remote control circuit should be remotely activatedbased on weight differentials from said animal sensing mechanisms. 16.The invention of claim 12 wherein handheld remote control circuit, usingsaid keypad means, activates and controls the speed, from a distance, ofsaid motorized mechanical means.
 17. The invention of claim 12 whereinthe handheld remote control circuit, using said keypad means, remotelyactivates a sounder mounted within said housing and electricallyconnected to said signal processing circuit.
 18. The invention of claim12 wherein the handheld remote control circuit remotely reprograms saidsignal processor using said keypad means.
 19. The invention of claim 12wherein the signal processor determines the modulation necessary toapply to said motorized mechanical means to generate sufficient torquefor rotating different loads at a constant speed.
 20. A method ofdeterring rodents from avian enclosures is comprised of a rotating meansof said avian enclosures whereby unwanted animals become nauseated by asufficient centrifugal force generated from the rotating avian enclosureand whom are repelled by the thought of trying to board an alreadyrotating avian enclosure.
 21. An apparatus for attaching to an avianenclosure comprising: a housing; a motor coupled to said avianenclosure; at least one animal sensing mechanism; a controller containedwithin said housing and coupled to said motor, said controller incommunication with said at least one animal sensing mechanism to detectthe presence of an animal and determine whether said animal is a wantedanimal or an unwanted animal, said controller arranged to cause saidmotor to rotate said avian enclosure at a speed intolerable to saidanimal when said animal is said unwanted animal.
 22. An apparatus forattaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21, furthercomprising a hook shaped shaft coupling said motor to said avianenclosure such that said avian enclosure is suspended beneath saidhousing.
 23. An apparatus for attaching to an avian enclosure accordingto claim 21, wherein said avian enclosure is pole mounted, and saidhousing is positioned between said avian enclosure and said pole.
 24. Anapparatus for attaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21,wherein said controller is further arranged to cause said motor torotate said avian enclosure at a speed tolerable to said animal whensaid animal is said wanted animal.
 25. An apparatus for attaching to anavian enclosure according to claim 21, wherein said at least one animalsensing mechanism is arranged to detect the presence of said animalprior to said animal contacting said avian enclosure.
 26. An apparatusfor attaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21, wherein saidmotor rotates said avian enclosure for a period of time for at least oneminute.
 27. An apparatus for attaching to an avian enclosure accordingto claim 21, wherein said at least one animal sensing mechanismcomprises a vibration sensing mechanism.
 28. An apparatus for attachingto an avian enclosure according to claim 21, wherein said at least oneanimal sensing mechanism comprises a load cell having an active lengthgenerally aligned with a sensing axis and positioned within said housingproximate to a point of maximum flexation.
 29. An apparatus forattaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21, wherein said atleast one animal sensing mechanism comprises a force sensitive resistor.30. An apparatus for attaching to an avian enclosure according to claim21, wherein said controller comprises a microcontroller.
 31. Anapparatus for attaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21,wherein said at least one animal sensing mechanism is arranged to sensechanges in weight applied to said housing.
 32. An apparatus forattaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21, wherein saidmotor comprises a variable speed motor, and said controller furthercomprises a pulse width generator for selectively varying the rotationalspeed of said motor.
 33. An apparatus for attaching to an avianenclosure according to claim 21, wherein said at least one animalsensing mechanism comprises a sensor adapted to detect and measurestatic and differential loads applied thereto.
 34. An apparatus forattaching to an avian enclosure according to claim 21, furthercomprising a sounding device coupled to said controller, said soundingdevice controllable to emit sounds adapted to repel unwanted animalsfrom said avian enclosure.
 35. An apparatus for attaching to an avianenclosure according to claim 21, further comprising a remote controldevice arranged to communicate with said apparatus, said remote controldevice capable of selectively causing said motor to rotate at apredetermined speed.
 36. An apparatus for attaching to an avianenclosure according to claim 35, wherein said remote control devicefurther comprises a keypad arranged to activate and control the speed ofsaid motor from a distance.
 37. An apparatus for attaching to an avianenclosure according to claim 35, wherein said remote control devicefurther comprises a control to activate a sounding device mounted withinsaid housing and electrically connected to said signal processingcircuit.
 38. An apparatus for attaching to an avian enclosurecomprising: a housing coupled to said avian enclosure; a motor arrangedto rotate said avian enclosure; a controller contained within saidhousing and coupled to said motor; a vibration sensor coupled to saidcontroller; a load cell coupled to said controller, said load cellhaving an active length generally aligned with a sensing axis andpositioned within said housing proximate to a point of maximumflexation, wherein said signal processor is arranged to cause said motorto rotate said avian enclosure when at least one of said vibrationsensor and said load cell detects the presence of an animal, said motorarranged to rotate said avian enclosure at a first speed tolerable tosaid animal where said animal is a wanted animal, and said motorarranged to rotate said avian enclosure at a second speed intolerable tosaid animal where said animal is an unwanted animal.
 39. An avianenclosure comprising: an avian structure; a motor coupled to said avianstructure; at least one animal sensing mechanism; a controller containedwithin said avian structure and coupled to said motor, said controllerin communication with said at least one animal sensing mechanism todetect the presence of an animal and determine whether said animal is awanted animal or an unwanted animal, said controller arranged to causesaid motor to rotate said avian structure at a speed intolerable to saidanimal when said animal is said unwanted animal.
 40. An avian enclosureaccording to claim 39, wherein said controller is further arranged tocause said motor to rotate said avian structure at a speed tolerable tosaid animal when said animal is said wanted animal.
 41. An avianenclosure according to claim 39, wherein said at least one animalsensing mechanism is arranged to detect the presence of said animalprior to said animal contacting said avian structure.
 42. An avianenclosure according to claim 39, wherein said motor rotates said avianstructure for a period of time for at least one minute.
 43. An avianenclosure according to claim 39, wherein said at least one animalsensing mechanism comprises a vibration sensing mechanism.
 44. An avianenclosure according to claim 39, wherein said at least one animalsensing mechanism comprises a load cell having an active lengthgenerally aligned with a sensing axis and positioned within said housingproximate to a point of maximum flexation.
 45. An avian enclosureaccording to claim 39, wherein said at least one animal sensingmechanism comprises a force sensitive resistor.
 46. An avian enclosureaccording to claim 39, wherein said controller comprises amicrocontroller.
 47. An avian enclosure according to claim 39, whereinsaid at least one animal sensing mechanism is arranged to sense changesin weight applied to said avian structure.
 48. An avian enclosureaccording to claim 39, wherein said motor comprises a variable speedmotor, and said controller further comprises a pulse width generator forselectively varying the rotational speed of said motor.
 49. An avianenclosure according to claim 39, wherein said at least one animalsensing mechanism comprises a sensor adapted to detect and measurestatic and differential loads applied thereto.
 50. An avian enclosureaccording to claim 39, further comprising a sounding device coupled tosaid controller, said sounding device controllable to emit soundsadapted to repel unwanted animals from said avian enclosure.
 51. Anavian enclosure according to claim 39, further comprising a remotecontrol device arranged to communicate with said apparatus, said remotecontrol device capable of selectively causing said motor to rotate at apredetermined speed.
 52. An avian enclosure according to claim 51,wherein said remote control device further comprises a keypad arrangedto activate and control the speed of said motor from a distance.
 53. Anavian enclosure according to claim 51, wherein said remote controldevice further comprises a control to activate a sounding device mountedwithin said housing and electrically connected to said signal processingcircuit.
 54. An avian enclosure comprising: an avian structure; a motorarranged to rotate said avian structure; a controller contained withinsaid avian structure and coupled to said motor; a vibration sensorcoupled to said controller; a load cell coupled to said controller, saidload cell having an active length generally aligned with a sensing axisand positioned within said housing proximate to a point of maximumflexation, wherein said signal processor is arranged to cause said motorto rotate said avian structure when at least one of said vibrationsensor and said load cell detects the presence of an animal, said motorarranged to rotate said avian structure at a first speed tolerable tosaid animal where said animal is a wanted animal, and said motorarranged to rotate said avian structure at a second speed intolerable tosaid animal where said animal is an unwanted animal.